Reports and Surveys

Using data from the Occupational Employment Survey of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, this report written by FMC Research Director Peter DiCola examines the effects of radio consolidation on employment and wages for radio announcers, news reporters, and broadcast technicians. The report finds that, comparing figures across metropolitan areas, an increase in the number of stations per owner within a metropolitan area was associated with both lower employment levels and lower wages during the years 1996 to 2003. The study also shows that the job losses in radio impede federal policy mandates to promote localism and diversity in media. read more

Kristin Thomson, Future of Music Coalition and Mary Madden, Pew Internet and American Life Project

Sunday, December 5, 2004

In Spring 2004, FMC worked in partnership with the Pew Internet & American Life Project and an array of other musician-based organizations to conduct a balanced survey that gave musicians, performers and songwriters a chance to speak up about the Internet, file-sharing, and copyright issues.

We’ve all heard speculations about what musicians are “really thinking” in the changing digital landscape. Yet, from our vantage point inside the music community these projections have always seemed too narrow to represent the complex concerns we regularly experience in our discussions with musicians.

FMC felt is was time to stop projecting our thoughts and preferences onto musicians and, instead, ask musicians to share their own experiences and opinions. read more

In May 2003, FMC released the results of a content analysis of nearly 10,000 comments available for public review in the Federal Communications Commission Broadcast Ownership rulemaking (Docket 02-277). Citizen response to these proposed rule changes was overwhelmingly negative. As of May 8, 2003, 96.8 percent of citizens filing comments opposed changing existing media ownership rules that would pave the way for further consolidation. read more

On November 18, 2002 the FMC publicly released its report documenting the effects of radio station ownership consolidation on musicians and the public. This comprehensive analysis was conducted in partnership with Media Access Project and funded by a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation.

In 2002, FMC released the results of an online survey to gauge the level of health insurance among working musicians. The survey found that, of the nearly 2,700 respondents, 44 percent of them did not have health insurance. This report — Health Insurance and Musicians — details the results of the survey, discusses the grave consequences of having so many creators uninsured in America and articulates FMC’s plan to tackle the issue on behalf of musicians.read more